The bloody battle of Gallipoli.Where a nation was born.

LongLine:With the outbreak of World War One (WWI), the lives of three individuals will be changed forever. Destiny will unite these people in the way that can only be brought about by a war.

Summary

Three lives, three stories of the turmoil that came about from World War I.

Two men had found themselves in the deadly battle of Gallipoli in 1915, a Turkish Sergeant, Imit Ifetli, a New Zealander, Major Michael Mason, along with a young Armenian woman, who was sold to brothel in Istanbul, Dylan Koç, are the heroes of a story which fate had written. The story which unfolds caused by various events and circumstances during this war, is the fascinating story of friendship, love, hatred and revenge, all which occurred in the East, during World War I

Among our heroes, there lies a demonic figure, that of a German officer, Herbert Neumann, who fate has selected to test the strength of the people in this story.

From this deadliest battle of Gallipoli, within the Turkish hammam and the brothels of Istanbul, Erzurum’s, Aleppo’s and Palestine’s  fate will continue to narrow in on the story, until fate has grated the happiness in which is written to these three individuals towards the end of the battle of WWI.

3.  EXT.  TURKEY.  GALLIPOLI PENINSULA.  CAMPA TEPE.  SUNRISE.

As dawn begins to break, the grey shadows of battleships are outlined on the horizon approaching the coast.

Camera on battleship.

On deck, soldiers in full kit are in rank formation ready to go to shore.  The captain and the officers on the bridge are observing the coast through binoculars.

CAPTAIN

(scanning the shore with binoculars)

As soon as the first bullet is fired, I’ll find you and crush you…

On the ship, whistles are heard and using rope ladders, the soldiers get into dinghies which are lowered on a cableway into the sea.

On the shore, in the Turkish outposts hidden in the rocks, tension prevails as the battleships approach.

The artillerymen on board check and double check the firing range of the cannons while the first dinghies full of soldiers begin to reach the coast.

Close up on the face of an officer on one of the dinghies, his eyes fixed impassively on the coast.  The officer is about thirty five, with rugged facial features.  On his epaulettes can be distinguished the rank of major.

And as the dinghy is approaching the shore, the camera focuses on his left hand in which he is holding a pendant.  With his thumb, the officer discreetly opens the locket and reveals (close up) the face of a beautiful woman.

Flash back.

The major is tenderly holding in both hands the face of the woman in the photograph and is beseeching her.

MICHAEL

Dorothy, look at me one last time…  tell me truthfully.

Do you want me to completely disappear from your life?

DOROTHY

Does it really matter what I want?

MICHAEL

That’s not an answer!

DOROTHY

                                                          What answer can I give?

That I’m in love with you?

What’s the point?

The officer closes the locket, puts on his kepi, leans on the gunwale of the dinghy and through his binoculars attempts to locate the positions of the gunmen on the coast.

The first dinghy that reaches the shore is fired upon by gunmen and many soldiers, either killed or wounded, fall into the sea.

While the soldiers are disembarking onto the shore, shots from the ships’ cannons blow up many Turkish outposts.

From the bridge of one of the battleships, the captain, while continuing to monitor the situation on the coast through binoculars, orders

CAPTAIN

Cease fire!

   God help them!

At the same time, the dinghy with the major’s men lands on shore and the major, standing upright, without showing the slightest fear of all the bullets whizzing by him, gives orders to reorganise on the ground and the machineguns that are set up on the shore force the Turks to withdraw into the surrounding highlands

17.INT.IN KERHANE (BROTHEL). EVENING.

When they enter the kerchane, Nouman and Chavuz Ifetli, are greeted by a middle-aged ‘kachpe’ (a.k.a. prostitute), who is half naked and whose make up is repulsively done.

From her behavior towards Nouman, Imit realizes that they know one another.

Shortly after, two topless prostitutes appear who then throw themselves into the arms of Neuman who is rejoiced.

Before the German passes the curtain which separates the brothel from its theater, he speaks the middle-aged ‘kachpe’:

NOUMAN

Aishe … Cavuz and protect him like your child…

The Kachpe takes IMIT’s hand, cresses her face with it and says playfully:

KAHPE

Relax… I know just what you want!

Behind the curtain is a large hallway with many rooms. At the end of the hallway, there is a room with a lock on it. The kahpe stops, unlocks the door and says to Imit.

KAHPE (CONT’D)

Until dawn, she is all yours…

Do what you’d like, there are no boundaries!

And if happens something .., don’t worry, the German boss (effendi) pays us more than is requested.

Just lock the door when you enter…and when you leave.

 Imit opens the door and enters the small room.

The room is barely lit by a large candle that is lit in the closet.

In one corner of the room there is a bed and in the other corner there is a naked girl, kneeling, positioning her body as to hide her nudity.

Imit, who has not yet adjusted to the dim light, turns to remove his overcoat when hears a muffled sob.

Puzzled, he locks the door and heads toward the girl, who stands up and begins begging him:

 GIRL

 (crying)

Please Boss (Effendi), don’t hurt me!

PLEASE….

Imit, thinking that it’s his uniform which frightens her, quickly takes it off and throws it opposite the bed.

IMIT, now only wearing his undergarments, takes a step forward.

The naked girl slowly approaches him and Imit raises his arms to touch her, as tears are running down her face.

But Imit freezes. As he has now adjusted to the dimly lit room, he can see the scars on the girl’s body from being brutally whipped.

Imit, not wanting to see this, turns his back.  The girl comes in front of him and falls to her knees. Sobbing, she murmurs:

GIRL

(CONT’D)

Take me … please!

Have your way with me!…..

 If you open the door, I’m as good as dead! They will kill me (before my time). The Kahpe swore to me she would!

Imit, bewildered, looks around the room, while feeling sorrow and pity for the girl.

Imit helps the girl up and hugs her, delicately and cautiously, trying to avoid her wounds. He then starts kissing her shoulder and asks.

IMIT

Where are you from?

GIRL

Nowhere, Boss (Efendi)!

IMIT

(patiently)

And where is this nowhere?

GIRL

(still sobbing)

It was a small town near Erzurum.

IMIT

How should I call you?

GIRL

Call me ‘ntitsi-kiopek’ (bitch), Boss

Imit grabs her by the shoulders and forces her to look into his eyes. He then says sternly:

IMIT

(in a stern voice)

I want to know your name! …Tell Me!

GIRL

 Dylan, Boss (Effendi), which means prostitute in Armenian…

IMIT

And who brought you in the Kerhane, Dylan?

While Dylan is standing there, Imit’s revolver , which is hanging nest to the closet, catches Dylan’s eye. Suddenly, she rushes over, pulls it out of its holster and gives it to Imit, who is dumbfounded. With conviction in her voice, she says:

DYLAN

(girl)

Kill me please!!!

Don’t you see how I have become?!

Imit takes the gun, throws it on the bed and embraces Dylan affectionately.

Camera follows Imit’s lips as he kisses Dylan’s wounds. She is alleviated by his touch. Shortly after, Dylan seeks Imits lips, where they start kissing passionately.